Here are the Texans’ options for replacing Brian Cushing

First off, let’s talk about Brian Cushing. At the time that I’m writing this, Gary Kubiak hasn’t come out with the official results of any MRIs for Brian Cushing and we don’t know his long-term status, but there has been rampant speculation that he’ll miss the rest of the season.

If Cushing does miss the rest of the season, that is a very bad thing. The Texans played through a ton of injuries last year and had a great deal of success and I don’t know if losing Cushing for the rest of the year would keep the Texans from reaching their potential this season, but Wade Phillips’ job would be much harder.

Cushing’s instincts are top notch and you’ll see him knife into creases and attack many plays before offensive linemen have a chance to get up on him. Cushing also runs well from sideline to sideline which is one of the reason the Texans have been able to limit big plays. And finally, Cushing is a big part of the Texans blitz packages so losing him will hurt in that regard as well.

Replacing Cushing

Option 1: Replace Cushing with Tim Dobbins and move forward. This option is the most likely in my opinion. Dobbins is a physical player who isn’t afraid to bang between the tackles and that is important in terms of helping against the run. Dobbins doesn’t have the range that Cushing has so Wade Phillips could be limited in what he asks of Dobbins in comparison to Cushing.

Option 2: Replace Cushing with Dobbins and then look for Darryl Sharpton to step into the starting lineup when he comes off of the PUP list. Sharpton has to remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list for six weeks so he won’t be eligible to come back until after next week’s game against the Packers. Even though he’s eligible, he may not be physically able to come back and if that is the case, he would likely be placed on the IR list. If he is healthy, he would likely need to some practice reps and backup reps before being ready to start and it might be a case of him being a rotational substitute and not a starter if/when he does come back.

Option 3: Go with what you have and add a street free agent at inside LB for depth. This pretty much goes hand in hand with Option 1 so both of these options could very well happen. I went back and watched some game tape of some of the free agents who are available and to be honest, I can’t see any of them being able to step into a starting lineup ahead of who the Texans have as their starting options right now. Here are some potential street free agents they could look for:

Barrett Ruud – Ruud has played inside in the 4-3 and started several years in Tampa. In his last stop where he actually played, he was with Tennessee. I watched his game against the Texans and he looked to have decent instincts, but didn’t show much quickness in getting to ball carriers. Ruud stayed in the game for all 3 downs against the Texans. Very average athlete.

Gary Guyton – Guyton started last year for the Patriots and is still only 26 years old, but if you are 26 years old and not in the league…. there’s a reason. Guyton was a part of a miserable Patriots defense playing in place of Jerod Mayo. He’s a decent athlete, but he is a drag down tackler and didn’t really explode to the ball. He’s also not the greatest hustler out their on the field despite having good speed, but he does have starting experience in the 3-4 and he can be utilized as a blitzer. The Texans might like his physical tools, but I doubt they will like the effort level on tape.

Stephen Cooper – I don’t really consider Cooper a viable option despite Cooper having played for Wade in San Diego. Cooper is 33 years old and hardly played last year before being placed on IR. Basically, he hasn’t played much football since 2010 and my guess is the Texans will be looking for someone more game ready.

E.J. Henderson – Henderson is 32 years old and played in a 4-3 defense with the Vikings, but he’s a physical player against the run and might be a consideration since he’s durable and tough. I don’t think Henderson is ideally suited for Cushing’s position based on limited athleticism, but he would definitely provide a physical player to plug in if need be.

dTrade Options

The trade deadline has been pushed back until after week 8 of the regular season so that does give the Texans some leeway in terms of looking for a player to trade for if they are so inclined, but that is unlikely to happen. For one, a team would have to be okay with giving up a starter or even depth (more likely a backup) from their starting roster and most teams won’t be too excited about that.

Secondly, you are a buyer and this will be a seller’s market so the Texans would have to give up more than they would like for what might only be a band-aid. Lastly, if a team traded a player, that player would need to be near the end of their contract so the trading team doesn’t incur much of a cap hit when they trade that player.

With all of that said, I’ve decided to dig down deep and find some potential players whom the Texans could target for trade if they were so inclined.

1. Tavares Gooden, ILB, 49’ers – Gooden is a terrific athlete, but he plays behind Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman so he won’t be starting anytime soon unless there is an injury. The 49’ers signed Gooden to a 1 year deal last year. I don’t know if the 49’ers would even consider moving Gooden since they are one of the best teams in the league, but if the Texans offered a 3rd rounder for their backup LB, they might have to take that deal. Gooden could also become a full-time starter next to Cushing in the future.

2. Brandon Siler, ILB, Chiefs – Siler is playing a backup ILB role with the Chiefs right now and was signed to a one year deal this past offseason. Siler spent 4 seasons with the Chargers, but only started 12 games. Siler probably isn’t good enough to make it into the starting lineup for the Texans, but he does have experience as an inside backer in the 3-4 and would provide decent depth at the position. I can’t imagine the trade price tag would be very high on a backup LB in the last year of his deal on a bad team.

3. Jonathan Vilma, ILB, Saints – Vilma isn’t the player he once was… not even close, but the Saints might be willing to move him for a very modest draft pick now that they’ve signed Curtis Lofton and have him playing in the middle. Vilma is undersized and is trying to recover from knee surgeries so I can’t imagine the Texans would be too worked up over landing him.

dNot An Option

I’ve had a bunch of people ask me about moving an outside linebacker like Brooks Reed or Whitney Mercilus inside to replace Cushing and it just doesn’t work like that. While Reed is asked to cover some from his position, he’s not an inside linebacker and does not have the skill-set to make that switch at this point. He’s a defensive end who is asked to do some covering, but an inside linebacker has to be able to diagnose quickly and then use quickness and agility to make the play. Reed does not have inside linebacker agility and would be asked to try and diagnose plays from that position for the first time ever.

Mercilus is a pass rusher plain and simple. The Texans have him on Barwin’s side as a backup because they don’t want him having to think too much. You would be asking him to switch from defensive end to middle linebacker, in essence. This isn’t a video game. Guys can’t just switch positions on the fly like that – especially when the positions is much different than what they are being asked to play.

I know the Texans are trying to ask Jesse Nading to make that switch, but it is very hard and he’s not even a backup at that position. And for those who will say that Cushing played outside linebacker, he played OLB in a 4-3 defense where he was a true LB and not just a pass rusher. There is a big difference. Not to mention, Cushing has the physical skills and talent to be able to play outside or inside.